Changes the definition of "qualified student" for the Missouri Empowerment Scholarship Accounts Program

HB 2697 modifies the definition of "qualified student" for Missouri's Empowerment Scholarship Accounts Program. It excludes students who are "illegal aliens" and adds two eligibility pathways: (1) students with an IEP under federal special education law, or (2) students from households earning ≤300% of the free/reduced lunch income threshold who attended public school recently or meet specific grade-level/sibling criteria. The bill directly affects students seeking scholarship funds to attend participating private, charter, or virtual schools. It does not create new funding but changes who qualifies for existing scholarship accounts under Section 166.700.